1920s Makeup Looks: What Was Makeup from the 20s Like?
The 1920s was a time of great change in society with the end of the war giving rise to a more optimistic and expressive era with greater interest in glamorous makeup. As women entered the workforce, makeup was used as a tool for empowerment and lipstick became a symbol of power, professionalism, and beauty confidence.
Defining features of 1920s makeup included the development of cream and powder rouge compacts that were used to give lips and cheeks a romantic, blushed appearance, as well as the wide-spread popularity of lipsticks and lip stains to create irresistible, standout pouts.
During the 1920s – also known as the Roaring 20s – the flapper girl aesthetic was extremely popular among socialites. The flapper girl subculture defied social norms; young women wore short skirts, cut their hair into short, flicked bobs, and listened to jazz music, as well as wearing a distinctive makeup style that often featured ruby-red lips with a pronounced, pouty Cupid’s bow and big, blown-out eye makeup with smokey kohl eyeliner.